PARTNERSHIP: Bottomline of Marriage

As I was studying the different parts of speech, I've come to realize that the most important noun is LOVE... and the most important verb is also LOVE.

This brings me to my senses that when two people are in love they want to share each other's gift of love. Such act of sharing is an act of love. Love that binds the lovers into loving each other until the end of time. The binding that makes them one --- one hand, one heart, one soul.

With this, the man doesn't just become a husband, and the woman a wife --- but they become PARTNERS... and partnership is sharing all what is there to share --- through thick and thin --- in sickness and in health --- 'til the end of time.

Do you remember the movie Madrasta --- starring Christopher de Leon and Sharon Cuneta. During Christopher's lowest moments because of the problems in the family – about his children --- Sharon wanted to share on how to deal with the problems but Christopher insisted on solving the problems alone--- not minding the feelings of his PARTNER.

As the movie was approaching its climax, it was Sharon's moment to bring out how she felt having been discounted. She said... “ Yan lang naman ang papel ko sa buhay mo. Taga-laba, taga-luto, taga-handa ng mga gamit mo... Wala kang pakialam kung ano ang nararamdaman ko tuwing niri-reject mo ang mga saloobin ko...” (That’s just my role in your life. A washerwoman, a cook, an organizer of your things…You don’t care about how I feel every time you reject me.)

Then came the climax. Sharon told Christopher....”I have never been your partner. I'm just your wife.”

Truly, marriage is a state of life when a husband and a wife vow for everlasting commitment to live together in harmony --- may it be during the best of times, the worst of times, or even in the season of despair... 'til death do them part.

CALL ME RARE

A movie buff and voracious reader, I am a man of letters. During my MA, I was diagnosed to be unfit for research but received the Excellence in Research Award for my thesis, An Assessment of Cor Jesu College Educational Technology Program: Basis of a Proposed Development Program. I am a paradox - living in both extreme fields of literature and journalism.

As a playwright and stage director, I had written and directed several plays, such as: LISO (seed), a community day presentation in Cor Jesu College; BANTAYOG (monument), a commemoration of the 100 years of Philippine Independence; and BUDYONG (conge), a pilgrimage story for the local celebration of the Jubilee 2000 in the Diocese of Digos, and other commissioned works for community presentation. I had also adapted several literary pieces, such as BIDASARI (Malayan epic), which is premised on the belief that life will be lengthened if kept by non-human living things; and SINAG-TALA (Fr. Reuter’s The Star), a Christmas story from the point of view of the girl, Veronica.

As a videographer, my works include milestones such those of Monsignor Gimmy Afable’s IN TRUTH AND COMPASSION; Cor Jesu College’s COR JESU: 45 YEARS HENCE; and the Cor Jesu-DepEd-BEAM’s WHEN LIFE BEAMS, a documentary on the aftermath of the Basic Education Assistance for Mindanao - Lumads Integrated Functional Education.

As a journalist, I am a three-time recipient of Outstanding School Paper Adviser given by the National School Paper Advisers Association for making the COR JESU PULSE, a high school publication, Outstanding School Paper for three years during the National Schools Press Conferences in 1994, 1996 and 2003.

My work ranges from being a classroom teacher for ten years (1988 t0 1998), a personal assistant of one of the Philippines’ premiere writers - Mr. Ricardo "Ricky" Lee, then creative assistant of Ricky Lee in ABS-CBN, then back to school as director of the Educational Technology Center for three years (2000 to 2003), and principal of the Basic Education Department - grade school and high school combined (2003 to 2007).

Born on December 3 , 1962— I am still single yet very much involved in family affairs. Being the only one in the family to have reached and finished a higher education diploma, I act as father to all my brothers and sisters and the ever affectionate "daddy" to all my nieces and nephews.

I am Lorenzo Balili Jr. But my showbiz colleagues call me Jaybee. I am your new friend. Call me Rare.